25 November 2014

I wish I had his energy. The above is him, mid-pounce like a polar bear breaking through ice to get to a seal. Will he ever slow down I wonder?

At last; a decent picture of Snippet:

Back to his bum:

Jack does stop sometimes but always alert:

But not for long:

Snip CAN do it once he's warmed up a bit:

At the end of last week it was incredibly misty:

Nothing will deter the nimble one:

I tried fiddling with the exposure of these misty ones but they looked ridiculous and this really is what it was like:

I think the marsh looks at it's most beautiful and mysterious this way:

A few other things from this week.....

Crow:

Last Thursday I had a very welcome visit from Seagull Susie who writes the great blog Beautiful Brixham (http://brixhamlife.blogspot.co.uk/ ). We went for a walk with the dogs and spotted these strange yellow things on some grass blades. I have absolutely no idea what they are....fungi? Eggs? Can someone please enlighten me?

We saw this beautiful little fungus too. Only one I've ever seen like it:

A young Stonechat experiencing its first winter:

More crows:

Our first proper frost AT LAST yesterday morning! We can finally harvest our Jerusalem Artichokes. Isn't the sky beautiful? This was about 7.30am:

Frosty Witches' Butter on the Gorse:

A dead Foxglove with a frosting:

This looks almost unreal I think:

Frosty grass:

Frosty gate on the way to school:

Cotoneaster in my mum's garden in Chagford:

Fleabane which my mum has always called Mexican Daisy; not looking very Mexican here:

This week OB has decided to get the bus into school as well as home which has been surprisingly disruptive given it should make life easier. Being lateness averse in a massive way, we always leave much earlier than we need to which also means I can get to my mum's by 9.00 to sort her out or take her to Waitrose on a Wednesday. Now, with the bus arriving at about twenty to eight, I'm champing at the bit waiting to discretely follow them in the car. The reason we're doing it is so that he gets used to being more responsible about getting his stuff ready and not relying on us so much reminding him about homework etc. The Aspergers mind is not renowned for its ability with what I now know to be called 'executive functioning'. I can't tell you how often he walks out of the door in the morning clutching a piece of Origami but leaving his coat and bag on the sofa. According to the book recommended by GOSH, 'Late, Lost and Unprepared', we have to try and create a 'prosthetic' environment where, subtly, we make it easier for him to remember things. For example, we have dedicated places for things he has to remember, close to where he is most likely to spot them if you see what I mean. I can't say my executive functioning is great but I've learnt to make copious lists and look at the calendar many times a day!

Things are not moving fast regarding the insulin pump. I had a letter with a booking code but when I rang the number, they seemed thrown by my choice of Exeter Hospital over Torbay (no competition I'm afraid) and said they'd have to pass my details on and get them to write to me. More waiting.....

Right, time to make sure OB is reading a 'proper' book rather than a Wimpy Kid one to which he is addicted but rationed as I'm concerned he'll lose the ability to cope with text without pictures. So, until next time, here are those dogs on their way up to Kestor on that frosty morning. Sorry about the overuse of the term 'frosty' by the way.........there it is again.

18 November 2014

One early morning over the weekend, the dogs and I climbed up to Kestor and were greeted with a view over Devon which resembled peninsulas and islands in a white sea. Chagford is somewhere under the first big white expanse. It was just beautiful. There was a strange haziness in the air too:

Sorry but I have to press some more views of the mist sea upon you.....

Looking back at Kestor as we walked home. I love the way the sun is catching the haze:

Something I've never seen before - lack of awareness rather then it being an unknown phenomenon - a shadow of Kestor on our little hamlet:

That sunshine was a rare thing this week without there being rain with it. Most days have been dull and wet. These poor cows' backs were covered in dew one morning:

The dogs and I were completely drenched by what caused this beautiful rainbow at the end of last week:

The murder if crows is still around. I'm trying to get some good flying shots but this is the best I have managed so far:

Snippet really is camera shy at the moment.....

A lot of fungi are collapsing;

Whilst some are going strong. This Witch's Butter comes and goes all winter:

These little ones come up every year and look like Chanterelles but I'm not sure enough to put them in the frying pan:

Hawthorn berries are fading to this beautiful dark, crimson red:

Another member of the murder sits on the Long Stone:

OB noticed this tree whose leaves have been ripped off on one side by an very strong and unusual South Easterly wind:

I haven't included the obligatory Meadow Pipit for a while but here it is today. I feel better now for it being here. I've been missing them.

I love this picture of Jack. I wonder what was so interesting in the distance.

Today I had my annual diabetic review AND a mammogram all before 1.00pm. Not much fun but important, especially as I've asked to be referred to Exeter for an Insulin pump. I know in the States, most type 1 diabetics use them but we've been extremely slow on the uptake in this country. When it was first suggested to me some ten years ago, I was very reluctant as it was clunky and offered no real advantage to me as it had no way of monitoring my blood sugar levels. I have always had a problem with my levels plummeting overnight and then rising steeply before waking and no one has ever been able to solve it. As a result, I am constantly tired and the hidden consequences are ones I try not to think about. Despite the problem, my overall control has always been good and I have no complications, but recently, there have been slight changes in my retina and I've been struggling with control; Insulin pumps are now completely different and can offer integrated glucose monitoring as well as being much lighter to wear so I decided, now is the time to to go for it....Devon's NHS budget allowing. They are expensive. I'll keep you posted.......